Lyon County valuation trends are ticking up.
County Appraiser Ryan Janzen updated county commissioners during their weekly action meeting Thursday morning. In a separate interview with KVOE News this week, Janzen said valuations were up 6.1 percent overall, including increases for both residential and commercial properties.
Agricultural land values are calculated differently than residential and commercial land, and the different ag land categories are headed in different directions. Dry cropland and irrigated cropland decreased by roughly $12 an acre or roughly 4.8 percent, while grassland values increased by $9 an acre or nearly 10 percent on average.
The Appraiser’s Office is about to mail out the annual valuation statements Feb. 28. This sets up the annual appeals window starting March 2 and continuing through the month. Residents are encouraged to call 341-3302 to set up an appointment.
In other business, commissioners approved a quote from APAC-Kansas, Inc. Shears Division to place a leveling course and 1-1/2 inch overlay on Americus Road from Road 260 to 290. Assistant Lyon County Engineer Jim Brull says the conditions on the road have been less than favorable for drivers for quite some time and the county has been working to enhance the conditions for a few years roughly two miles at a time.
Brull says luckily this year they have enough money in the budget to do three miles of the road which will leave just over 4 miles of work left to be done.
Crews will also install a shoulder edge wedge in order to reduce the size of the dropoff for vehicles on the road’s shoulder. The total cost of the impending work is just over $645,000 and will be paid out of both the road and bridge fund and the special road, bridge building, machinery, ect. fund.
Commissioners also approved the annual payment to Election Systems and Software LLC totaling $44,530 for the county’s yearly maintenance license renewal. Approval was also given to accept a quote of $48,000 from Murphy Tractor and Equipment Company for a 2015 steel drum roller and a $36,390 bid from Foley Equipment Company for a Lycox Walk-N-Roll roller compactor and diamond ripper. Lelan Dains of Dirty Kanza Promotions presented a request for a road closure in Americus and parking lot access for the annual Dirty Kanza races in May which was approved.
Two executive sessions, one for non-elected personnel and one for legal matters also took place. The Lyon County Commission will reconvene for their weekly action session next Thursday at 9 am inside the Lyon County Courthouse.
